The State government has complied with all the guidelines of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) on the Ease Of Doing Business (EODB) front.
“The State is comfortably positioned to retain its No. 1 slot for the year 2017, leaving behind progressive States such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu,” said Industries Minister N. Amaranatha Reddy.
Addressing a regional stakeholder meeting on EODB here on Wednesday, Mr. Reddy said the Industries Department improved on the last year’s EODB action plan, and was trying to compete with countries rated by the World Bank (WB) as the global top-10.
The WB and DIPP laid down 372 parameters, and Andhra Pradesh fulfilled its mandate by consolidating on the reforms that were initiated in the aftermath of bifurcation.
Establishment of ICDA
The Minister said the proposal for establishment of the Industrial Corridor Development Authority would be tabled in the Assembly session beginning on November 10.
“It is going to be a significant piece of legislation that is aimed at creating the requisite infrastructure in Visakhapatnam-Chennai and Bengaluru-Chennai corridors, whose development is crucial for the growth of the Sunrise State,” he said.
Due priority had been given to the promotion of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, for which a dedicated corporation was set up, Mr. Reddy added.
Secretary (Department of Industries) Solomon Arokiaraj said the WB-DIPP recommendations were given to States in June, and Andhra Pradesh achieved rapid progress.
It is now looking for feedback of industrialists and the investor community, which will be taken into account for giving the ranks in January 2018.
Andhra Pradesh was ranked 2nd in 2015 and 1st in 2016 in spite of the odds that were stacked against it, he observed.
Commissioner of Industries Siddharth Jain said Andhra Pradesh had meticulously gone into 14 key reform areas, which would once again give it the edge.
He stated that a common application form for a plethora of clearances, online tracking, a huge cut in the number of physical touch-points, and Public Service Delivery Guarantee Act would help the State stand in good stead, he asserted.
A.P. Pollution Control Board member-secretary B.S.S. Prasad and Director of Factories G. Bala Kishore were present.
